1 S ee, the Lord’s hand is not so short that it cannot save, and His ear is not closed that it cannot hear.

Behold, the Lord’s hand is not so short That it cannot save; Nor is His ear so dull That it cannot hear.

2 B ut your wrong-doings have kept you away from your God. Your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He does not hear.

But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.

3 F or your hands are sinful with blood, your fingers with wrong-doing, your lips have lied, and your tongue talks about sin.

For your hands are defiled with blood And your fingers with iniquity; Your lips have spoken falsehood, Your tongue mutters wickedness.

4 N o one wants what is right and fair in court. And no one argues his cause with the truth. They trust in what is false, and speak lies. They plan to make trouble and do what is sinful.

No one sues righteously and no one pleads honestly. They trust in confusion and speak lies; They conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity.

5 T hey bring young ones from the eggs of deadly snakes and make traps as a spider does. He who eats of their eggs dies, and a snake comes out of the egg that is crushed.

They hatch adders’ eggs and weave the spider’s web; He who eats of their eggs dies, And from that which is crushed a snake breaks forth.

6 C lothing cannot be made from the work of the spider, so they cannot cover themselves with what they make. Their works are works of sin. They hurt others with their hands.

Their webs will not become clothing, Nor will they cover themselves with their works; Their works are works of iniquity, And an act of violence is in their hands.

7 A nd they are quick to sin and to kill people who are not guilty. Their thoughts are thoughts of sin. Wherever they go, they destroy and cause suffering.

Their feet run to evil, And they hasten to shed innocent blood; Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity, Devastation and destruction are in their highways.

8 T hey know nothing about peace, and there is nothing fair in their paths. Their roads are not straight. Whoever walks on them does not know peace.

They do not know the way of peace, And there is no justice in their tracks; They have made their paths crooked, Whoever treads on them does not know peace. A Confession of Wickedness

9 S o what is right and fair is far from us. What is right and good does not come to us. We hope for light, but see darkness. We hope for bright light, but we walk in the dark.

Therefore justice is far from us, And righteousness does not overtake us; We hope for light, but behold, darkness, For brightness, but we walk in gloom.

10 W e feel for the wall like blind men. We feel our way like those who have no eyes. We trip at noon as in the night. Among those who are strong, we are like dead men.

We grope along the wall like blind men, We grope like those who have no eyes; We stumble at midday as in the twilight, Among those who are vigorous we are like dead men.

11 A ll of us make noise like bears, and cry inside ourselves like doves. We hope for what is right and fair, but it is not there. We hope to be saved, but it is far from us.

All of us growl like bears, And moan sadly like doves; We hope for justice, but there is none, For salvation, but it is far from us.

12 F or we have done much wrong before You, and our sins speak against us. Our wrong-doing is with us, and we know our sins.

For our transgressions are multiplied before You, And our sins testify against us; For our transgressions are with us, And we know our iniquities:

13 W e have gone against the Lord and have acted as if we do not know Him. We have turned away from our God. We have made it hard for others. We have thought and spoken lying words from the heart.

Transgressing and denying the Lord, And turning away from our God, Speaking oppression and revolt, Conceiving in and uttering from the heart lying words.

14 W hat is right and fair is turned back. What is right and good stands far away. Truth has fallen in the street, and what is right cannot come in.

Justice is turned back, And righteousness stands far away; For truth has stumbled in the street, And uprightness cannot enter.

15 Y es, truth is not there. And he who turns away from sin comes under the anger of sinners. Now the Lord saw this, and it did not please Him to see that what is right and fair was not being done.

Yes, truth is lacking; And he who turns aside from evil makes himself a prey. Now the Lord saw, And it was displeasing in His sight that there was no justice.

16 H e saw and wondered that there was no man to speak up for what is right. Then His own arm brought saving power, and what is right with Him gave Him strength.

And He saw that there was no man, And was astonished that there was no one to intercede; Then His own arm brought salvation to Him, And His righteousness upheld Him.

17 B eing right and good was His covering for His breast, saving power was His headcovering, clothing of anger was his covering, and His strong desires were like a coat.

He put on righteousness like a breastplate, And a helmet of salvation on His head; And He put on garments of vengeance for clothing And wrapped Himself with zeal as a mantle.

18 H e will pay them back for their works. He will send anger upon those who are against Him, and will punish those who hate Him. He will send punishment on the islands.

According to their deeds, so He will repay, Wrath to His adversaries, recompense to His enemies; To the coastlands He will make recompense.

19 T hey will fear the name of the Lord from the west, and His shining-greatness from the rising of the sun. When the one who hates us comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a wall against him.

So they will fear the name of the Lord from the west And His glory from the rising of the sun, For He will come like a rushing stream Which the wind of the Lord drives.

20 “ The One Who saves from the punishment of sin will come to Zion, and He will come to those of Jacob who turn from their sinful ways,” says the Lord.

“A Redeemer will come to Zion, And to those who turn from transgression in Jacob,” declares the Lord.

21 “ And as for Me, this is My agreement with them,” says the Lord. “My Spirit which is upon you, and My Words which I have put in your mouth, will not leave your mouth, or the mouth of your children, or the mouth of your children’s children,” say the Lord, “from now and forever.”

“As for Me, this is My covenant with them,” says the Lord: “My Spirit which is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your offspring, nor from the mouth of your offspring’s offspring,” says the Lord, “from now and forever.”